Nearly 50,000 hens, many of them now dead, were left without care and food at a Stanislaus County ranch, animal control said Wednesday.Annette Patton of the Stanislaus Animal Service agency says that about one-third of the hens found on the ranch near Turlock died of starvation. The rest are in such poor condition they must be euthanized.The birds that were not dead were found emaciated and malnourished.Patton said she has never seen anything like this before. She called the situation inhumane.Animal control received an anonymous call on Tuesday reporting that thousands of chickens at the ranch were abandoned and without food.The owner of A&L Poultry could face animal cruelty charges, animal control said. No word on why the owner left.Officials will be spending the next couple of days cleaning up the mess and properly disposing of the hens.A veterinarian tested some of the birds and found no diseases in them.
The location of the ranch is south of Carpenter and Fulkirth roads in Turlock.Stay with KCRA and KCRA.com as this story develops

TURLOCK, Calif. (KCRA) —

Nearly 50,000 hens, many of them now dead, were left without care and food at a Stanislaus County ranch, animal control said Wednesday.

Annette Patton of the Stanislaus Animal Service agency says that about one-third of the hens found on the ranch near Turlock died of starvation. The rest are in such poor condition they must be euthanized.

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The birds that were not dead were found emaciated and malnourished.

Patton said she has never seen anything like this before. She called the situation inhumane.

Animal control received an anonymous call on Tuesday reporting that thousands of chickens at the ranch were abandoned and without food.

The owner of A&L Poultry could face animal cruelty charges, animal control said. No word on why the owner left.

Officials will be spending the next couple of days cleaning up the mess and properly disposing of the hens.

A veterinarian tested some of the birds and found no diseases in them.

The location of the ranch is south of Carpenter and Fulkirth roads in Turlock.